In line with its efforts to promote gender equality and health education in Africa, UNESCO in partnership with Peking University (PKU), has implemented a two-year project Work entitled” Promoting School Health Education for Girls in Africa in the COVID-19 Era”. This has been especially put in place to mitigate the effects brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak. It has positively impacted over 79,000 girls in Ebonyi State, Nigeria by addressing their health and education challenges.
The program covered three African nations Nigeria, Botswana and Uganda, and it all aimed at health education for young girls, more so after the pandemic. In Nigeria, the due course of health education project implementation was executed by the Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board (EBSUBEB) and its main goal was to build the skills of local teachers and raise concerns over identified health problems facing adolescent girls within the school system.
The initiative saw the number of trained teachers increase to 3,632, which armed with the skills required to implement specific health education interventions among others. These included activities such as school assembly talks, peer to peer mentorship, formation of health clubs, sanitary pad banks, and enabling girls to form their own protective circles. All these activities were undertaking in five local government areas within the state and benefited over 79,500 adolescents’ girls.
Another strong point of the initiative was the HER HEALTH MANUAL that was launched in the partnership with the People’s Education Press under the auspices of the Ministry of Education in China. This manual was contextualized by EBSUBEB and transformed into an important tool that helped in the promotion of health, hygiene and self-care education in school going girls. In terms of health, the manual ensured that the girls had good information that would contribute towards their health management concerns.
On the 4th of October 2024, this milestone was overtaken when Nigerian delegation from Peking University and official’s M/s PEP, arrived in Nigeria to handover the HER HEALTH MANUAL license to EBSUBEB in Nigeria, during an event that was held at the United Nations House, Abuja. The occasion was graced by several prominent people including the Head of UNESCO Nigeria Mr. Abdourahamane Diallo and the Chairman of EBSUBEB Hon. Patience. This visit also enhanced the existing collaboration that Nigeria has with the rest of the world with the expectation of initiating new ones.
This collaboration epitomizes UNESCO’s global priorities, Gender Equality and Africa by empowering African girls with the necessary tools and knowledge for success both academically and on a personal level. In this endeavor, the girls of Ebonyi State are prepared better for the rigors of life adolescent and beyond.
